Sources: Kevin Ollie, UConn beginning contract negotiations

Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie shouts instructions during the first half in a regional semifinal against Iowa State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament Friday, March 28, 2014, in New York. (Frank Franklin II/The Associated Press file)

The Lakers may receive clarity on one key coaching candidate, and it might not even involve an interview.

Although he hasn’t ruled out any potential coaching offers, Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie and school officials are in the beginning stages of negotiating a new contract, according to league sources familiar with the situation.

After guiding the Huskies to the 2014 NCAA national championship in only his second year as the team’s head coach, Ollie is expected to spark a flurry of interest should NBA teams make any coaching changes. The Lakers consider him as a candidate, but have not reached out to him yet, according to a league source.

Ollie’s current contract with Connecticut runs through the 2017-18 season, but both Ollie and the Huskies are mindful of his increased market value stemming from UConn’s success and expected heightened NBA interest. It remains to be seen when or if any clarity surrounding this issue will take place. Sources both familiar with the thought process surrounding Ollie and the Huskies program said it remained premature to assess how much of a raise he would receive. Ollie made $1.25 million last season.

Ollie has spent recent days on the recruiting trail, according to league sources. There is hope for a relatively quick resolution, considering the urgency in the Huskies wanting to secure what appears to be an elite college basketball coach after he guided them to a 52-18 record through two seasons. But Ollie also appears to have leverage, considering the inevitable outside interest.

Ollie plans to entertain the Lakers’ likely pitch with some uncertainty.

“He’s not looking to leave, but he’s always going to listen,” said a person familiar with Ollie’s thinking.

Ollie remains an intriguing option for reasons beyond guiding the seventh-seeded Huskies to a national championship in only his second season as head coach.

Ollie’s 13-year NBA career as a role player entailed playing his final season in 2009-10 with Oklahoma City, where star Kevin Durant credited him for bolstering’s the organization’s culture. The Thunder won 23 games in the 2008-09 season before collecting 50 victories and appearing in a first-round playoff series against the Lakers in 2009-10. Durant, who will likely become this season’s league MVP, will become a free agent in 2016.

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Ollie also grew up in Los Angeles as a former Crenshaw High standout, guiding the Cougars to a city and a Division I state title before playing for the Huskies in 1991.

Ollie would have a hefty responsibility, overseeing a Lakers team coming off its worst record in L.A. franchise history amid a smattering of injuries. But Ollie, who served as an assistant coach under Jim Calhoun for two years at UConn, restored the program amid Calhoun’s retirement. That happened despite numerous penalties in 2013, including a postseason ban and limited practice time stemming from subpar work in the classroom as determined by the annual Academic Progress Rate scores.

Maintaining roots

At one point during his young basketball career, Jordan Farmar wanted to leave the Lakers.

He wanted to leave for a bigger role. He wanted to leave to expand his horizons beyond his Angeleno roots. Even though he has credited Phil Jackson’s leadership that sparked two NBA championships, Farmar wanted to leave after feeling constricted in Jackson’s triangle system.

One of the elements that brought Farmar back to the Lakers last year was D’Antoni, whose fast-paced offense that puts a premium on outside shooting, floor spacing and playmaking tapped into Farmar’s creative mindset. But even with D’Antoni resigned Wednesday over the Lakers’ refusal to assure they will exercise his team option for the 2015-16 season, Farmar stressed that will not negatively influence his free agency outlook on re-signing with the purple and gold.

“I want to be a Laker,” Farmar told this newspaper in a phone interview. “I like playing for Mike. Whether it’s Phil Jackson, Mike D’Antoni or whoever else coaches this team, that won’t deter me from wanting to be a Laker.”

The Lakers like Farmar, too, though his future could hinge on how the team fills out its roster and what other offers Farmar attracts, both in the NBA and possibly overseas. He averaged 10.1 points and 4.9 assists, but he missed 39 games because of overlapping hamstring and groin injuries.